Can you describe your style?

I sure hope I don’t have a “style”. It’s hard for a designer or illustrator to say they have a style personally because it is other people that describe and/or classify said style. I try to experiment with all kinds of lettering styles, illustration styles, etc. so my work is a bit more varied and not the same thing every single time.

Where did you go to school?

I attended Arizona State University where I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Communication Design. It’s a very competitive 4-year program that ultimately guided my interest and love for typography and lettering.

After graduating from ASU I moved to New York to continue my love for type within the Extended Type @ Cooper program. In 2016 I received a postgraduate certificate in Type Design from the Cooper Union.

How does one become a full-time freelancer?

Everyone will have a completely different journey so try not to compare yourself to others. It could take a couple months or a couple of years to gather the client work to sustain your monthly bills. Take your time networking, reaching out to others, etc. and one day you will be able to achieve it thanks to the glorious age of social media.

What did you think about the Type @ Cooper program?

It was an insanely rewarding experience for me. I love typography and being able to learn from some of the best type designers in the industry was nothing short of amazing. To read an in-depth post about the program, feel free to read about it on Medium.

How did you get into lettering?

It was during my Sophomore year at ASU that I began designing type and creating hand-drawn letterforms. I gave myself a project to essentially draw a new piece of lettering every single day for an entire year to help progress my skills. Along with practice, I took workshops with some of the greats including: Jessica Hische, Ken Barber, John Downer, Damon Styer and many more. I’ve been drawing letterforms ever since.

How in the world do you pronounce your last name?

It’s pronounced, BEER-SACK. Get your laughs in because I’ve heard all the jokes. All of 'em.

What is your “rate”?

I work on a project pricing method – not an hourly/day rate. Therefore, I do not have a standard rate list that works with every client. Each project I work on is quite different from the last and requires a number of questions to be answered before determining price.

What is your process like?

I try to streamline my process for every project so things flow smoothly and quickly to each stage. For me, my process is generally something like this:

Sometimes one of those stages can take longer than expected. Every project varies. And like most creatives, I could complete a project and two weeks later come back to it and absolutely hate it or second-guess all of my decisions. The process of finishing something is truly never ending!

How do you price your work?

Pricing is something I’ve learned through trial and error. To be honest, I’m still having a hard time with it. Things to be aware of when pricing:

How long does the client want to “license” the artwork? A month? 6 months? 3 years? Next, where does the client intend to use the artwork? In print? Online and in video? All forms of media? Who is this artwork for? A small shop? A large behemoth of a company? All of these things and more help price the job a bit better. Need a good place to start? Buy this book﻿, I kid you not – I use that book almost daily, it’s incredibly helpful.

Why “youbringfire”?

Back in 2010 I was enamored with the band, Ivoryline. Their song, You Bring Fire really connected with me at that time in my life. For me, it's about putting all of yourself into something or someone. Letting your passion and drive flow freely and essentially, “setting the soul on fire”.

What if you’re not available to take on my project?

Sometimes a project may not align with my career goals or the timing may not be right. If that is the case, I’ve got this handy resource of friends that'll get the job done. Feel free to share and reach out.